Three Hundred
by Kingsforcedvacation
Summary: If Rodimus is the shattered glass version of Starscream, why does Optimus Prime allow him to live? Shattered Glass AU


Optimus POV

I glared at the mech crumbled and bleeding at my feet.

"Why did you, one of my own soldiers, try to assassinate me?" I asked, my tone cold as steel.

To his credit, Rodimus didn't flinch.

"I think I would be a better leader than you," Rodimus stated without hesitation or stutter, head held high despite his position.

I continued to stare at the purple mech. I should kill him for his betrayal. Rodimus was a new recruit, young and arrogant, bursting with pride. However, despite his youth he has great potential. He has already out shown everyone in his unit with his physical prows and he was smart, smart enough to come closer to killing me than anyone else has in centuries.

It would be dangerous to let him live, almost stupid, but I'm bored, and his attempt was entertaining at the very least. If I let him live, I would have to constantly watch my back because looking at him right now, I could tell he would try again no matter the consequences.

Of course, how close he came to killing me might have been a complete fluke. I was inclined to let him try again just to see how close he would get with me watching my back. It might actually be a good thing to have him help keep me vigilant, as he has shown we have gotten rather lax in our confidence that no one would dare to attack me here. At the very least it would help security locate any weak points they have missed.

"How long did it take you to plan this assassination attempt?" I asked him, giving nothing away.

"Three hundred days," he said with pride.

I gave him a sharp smile, "Why don't we play a game Rodimus?"

He tensed and looked at me quizzically, absent mindedly wiping the energon that was leaking into his optics.

"I will give you three hundred chances to kill me. If you manage then the Autobot throne will be yours to do with as you see fit," I my smile grew as his optics widened in surprise. "I will, of course punish you harshly after each attempt, but you will remain alive afterwards. However, any attempt after the three hundredth, and I will treat you like I would any traitor and give you a slow and agonizing death. So, will you play my game?"

Rodimus stared at me in disbelief before quickly nodding his head.

"Good," I said, my smile never once waning, "I think my beating will be punishment enough this time, and, of course, a trip to Ratchets med bay. You will also have no help getting there."

Rodimus didn't dare to protest, knowing that I could make his punishment so much worse than the humiliation of crawling to the med bay and the horror of being treated by Ratchet. Slowly he hauled himself up onto his hands and knees and started to drag himself out of the throne room.

Just before he reached the door I called out, "Two hundred ninety-nine attempts left, use them wisely."

…

Rodimus was creative, I'll give him that much. Over the centuries of our little game he tried a variety of plans to killing me ranging from meticulously planned to just plain crazy. Some of his plans actually almost worked. I was impressed, but now our game has come to an end in the same way it started, with Rodimus bleeding at my feet.

"And that was three hundred," I informed him. "No more free passes. Tread carefully."

He looked at me, optics dark, before nodding his head. Carefully he picked himself up and knelt at my feet, head bowed low.

"I was wrong all those years ago, you have led the Autobots better than anyone else I've ever met could."

At that I smiled a cruel smile of the predator catching its prey. In all our years of playing, he never asked what I gained if I won. He really is naïve if he believed I would go through all of this effort for nothing. No, I received something valuable with my win. With the end of this game I have gained a loyal general who is cunning, creative, and durable. I gained a mech who would live and die for me without question, a mech who could win me battle after battle. With this game I won him, and he will never leave my side.


End file.
